The 154 page agenda for the next Overview and Scrutiny committee on 12 June 2014 at 6.30 p.m. at the Knowle is HERE

Mostly it is a re-hash of some old reports and surveys, a new report (NHS) and some other surveys done with very few people (in one case just 7).  There is almost nothing that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee can do about any of the items on the agenda and one has to wonder why they are there as it is the items NOT on the agenda which are more important.  For example, not a mention of the Business Task and Finish Forum (examining the influence of the disbanded East Devon Business Forum, Chairman – disgraced ex-councillor Graham Brown).  It shows the current Overview and Scrutiny function as neither overseeing nor scrutinising.

They will not discuss relocation until at least the September 2014 meeting and even that is not guaranteed.

One little pearl hidden away in these 154 pages:

EDDC reviews a consultation exercise done in 2014 where many people were displeased with how EDDC runs its Planning function. Under “Actions we are taking” is this:

We will run an awareness campaign about the way we deal with planning applications especially how this operates within nationally laid down rules and regulations. This campaign will explain how the planning applicant is the council’s customer for the service as they have to pay for it.

And there’s us thinking that we are paying for this service through our Council Tax!

A little nugget on office relocation too which once again illustrates that the cart of desperately wanting shag pile has gone before the cart of what has to be done first:

Office Relocation

EDDC is looking to relocate their offices. This has already entailed some community consultation. We are also regularly engaging with a stakeholder group that includes Town and Parish Councils,

Chambers of Commerce and interested community groups. We are soon due to begin consulting widely on the impacts of moving to SkyPark of equalities groups and other affected people and organisations and carrying out Best Value consultation to make sure we get the best out of any move. This consultation will involve randomly selected households, businesses, equalities groups and others. The results will be presented to Cabinet as part of the decision making process.

If anyone is in one of the groups of randomly selected households, businesses, equalities groups and (ha, ha) “Others” we would love to know!

Oh, and if you come across the agenda item “Update on the corporate engagement work being carried out as part of the Organisational Development function of EDDC” – er, what this actually appears to mean is “Report on Public Consultation”!!!

Page 146 reveals that our Chief Executive budgeted as costing a total of £86,500 per year for 2.5 days work each week.  That would equate to an annual salary and extras totalling £173,000 (South Somerset pays 50% for their 2.5 days of his valuable time).